By Dave Campbell — Only four riders have officially won the Tour de France five times: Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil (1957, 1961–64) and Bernard Hinault (1978–79, 1981–82, 1985), Belgian Eddy Merckx (1969–72, 1974), and Spaniard Miguel Induráin (1991–95).
Slovenian Tadej Pogačar enters this July’s Tour with four overall victories. If he wins, he would join one of cycling’s most exclusive clubs. That raises a good trivia question: what do these all-time greats have in common?
Q1. What is the one Grand Tour, beyond the Tour de France, that all four five-time Tour winners — as well as possible new initiate Tadej Pogačar — have won?
Q2. What major international stage race outside the Grand Tours has been won by all four five-time Tour winners, as well as Pogačar?
Q3. What major one-day road race victory do all of these riders share?
Q4. Among the four members of the five-time Tour winner club, Eddy Merckx recorded the most Tour de France stage wins, with 34. Of the other four riders under discussion — Anquetil, Hinault, Induráin and Pogačar — who ranks second?
Q5. Only one rider among the four five-time Tour winners and Pogačar has not won either the elite road race or individual time trial world championship. Which one?
See next page for answers.
